A few years ago, saying you represented a cannabis company might elicit Funyuns jokes and requests for hookups. These days, it makes you look forward-thinking, as cannabis companies become very real businesses with serious communications needs. Here are our selections for the year’s most notable agencies in the fast-growing cannabis PR space. Now about those Funyuns…
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And definitely spend some time with the PR Power 50, our yearly effort (which takes, pretty much, the entire year to put together) honoring the 50 PR firms that we feel have made the biggest, most exciting moves over the course of 2018.
The Rosen Group
Lori Rosen’s energetic, experienced generalist shop was one of the first to see the potential of smart, serious marketing for cannabis clients. The firm lit up this summer’s launch of CBD-infused drinks from the founder of Bubby’s, the beloved NYC/Tokyo restaurant.
McGrath Power
Upon formalizing its cannabis division in March, San Jose’s McGrath Power has brought disciplines like thought leadership, CSR and crisis communications to the weed space, aiding clients like The Handpicked Company and C4Distro.
WisePR
Wise very sagely lumps its cannabis clients—MedMen, Cloudponics and Style & Stigma have all been clients—in with food and agri-tech, infusing an instant air of legitimacy. Side note: the firm’s also big in blockchain, health and tech.
Proven Media
The ten-year-old firm has been ahead of the curve in promoting legal cannabis brands, as content creators, media strategists and event producers. Bonus fact that’s just too good not to mention: their office is smack on Easy Street, in Carefree, Arizona.
NisonCo
Evan Nison’s N.J. agency blends lobbying, media relations, activism and brand strategy exclusively for cannabis-industry clients. At 28, Nison is also the youngest member of the Board of Directors of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
